Select Artwork for Larger View and Item List
"Ctrl P" to Print
From the Helm
Cap'n Dawn Heath,Publisher
As we wind down this years virtual worldwide cruise, we have pulled this great ship to the East African Nation of Kenya! Kenya is known for their breathtaking National Parks and their wonderful hospitality to visitors. The Kenyan safari's are very popular and varied to meet your expectations! You can experience a camping safari or a luxury safari that includes 5 star hotels! The Southern beaches in Kenya are serene and are truly unique in their beauty! We hope that as you enjoy this issue of S.S. Reflections you will take away with you a feeling for what it is like to travel the world! We have so much to share with you, our crew has outdone themselves yet again! I'd like to challenge you to scrap or stamp lift one of the designs featured this month and share it with us on the Ezine Yahoo! Group
In the last 5 weeks our Gulf Coast has been hit hard by both Hurricate Katrina and Hurricane Rita. As we were putting the September issue together Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast and now Rita is gone but definitely not forgotten! There are so many people who have lost everything, I just can't imagine what they are going through. One thing that we haven't really heard about from the media is that there are three military bases that were also destroyed by Katrina, families have been completely displaced and the worst part is that 70% of the spouses of these families are serving in Iraq. It's hard enough to imagine losing everything but to be separated by your spouse during this time must be terrifying to those coping with this and those who are so far away not knowing what is going on or how to reach their families. We have all been glued to the news holding our breath for friends and family who have been and will be effected by these horrific hurricanes. If you are able to you can help by donating to the Salvation Army by donating online or you can call 1-800-253-1868. I can't even imagine living in such devastation and my prayers are with everyone who has been effected by this unimaginable catastrophe. Donations have reached a whole new record which is so awesome! It's so nice to know that so many people are helping this way!
We have launched our brand new store directory but we need your help! As our store directory is brand new there aren't many entries yet, but if you could tell your favorite store about our new directory we will continue our special introductory rate for them and if your store tells us that they heard about our program from YOU, we will pay you $5! This offer is only for referalls that are paid in full. If you own a store and are interested in having your store included (Brick and Mortar stores and Online stores) please contact me at publisher@ssreflections.com as we have a very special introductory rate for one full year that we are extending so you will also receive a very special deal!
Last month we announced that our crew may actually offer their designs or kits of their designs to you to purchase! Starting with this issue it is official! All you need to do is click on the thumbnail of your favorite design and if it is for sale, it will be listed at the bottom of the supply list and you can email the crewmember directly for information about purchasing the design featured! Shipping and Handling are not included in the price of the design. Insurance is required on all sales. The beautiful layout to the right is one that is for sale! Our very talented Becky is selling this as a kit that would require some assembly but this could yours! Scrappers ER Update!You've been reading about Scrappers ER on S.S. Reflections for months, it's a long weekend of education & recreation for the Scrapbooker. Just what the doctor ordered... Two days of intensive care that includes workshops, make 'n takes and cropping events! Dates are November 3-6 at Pheasant Run in St. Charles, Illinois! Well, it's time! Registration opened September 1st! You won't want to miss this awesome event! Class schedule is on the site and the instructors bios are also available! You will probably recognize a few of them!
If you are joining us for the very first time, let me explain what S.S. Reflections is. We are a completely FREE online magazine with a truly unique concept. SSR is a virtual cruise ship from the Golden Era here to entertain you as we visit a new country/port each month. We have an amazing crew who create designs and share ideas with you each month from various areas of the ship. Our fly-out menu bar, to the left, can take you anywhere on the ship that you would like to be. It will guide you through each deck on this magnificent ship! If you'd like to read each and every feature, at the bottom of each page is a blue arrow and a link to click which will take you to the next page to read. We also have Intro Pages for each deck. On these pages are ship's wheels with our crewmember's pictures inside - you can click on the wheel and read a short, fun bio for each designer. You can also click on the name of their room on the ship and it will take you directly to their article, or you can email each crewmember directly by clicking on their name! Please write to us and be sure to let us know what you love about SSR!
The Caption Contest has been so much fun on the Ezine Yahoo! Group! We can hardly wait to see each new entry. The featured stamp used in each month's article is also that months prize. The October caption contest is sponsored by Putting on the Ritz!
The card on the right is from the September Caption Contest sponsored by Red Castle. The Ezine Yahoo Group members voted for their favorite caption and the winner is....
"They say a picture is worth a thousand words. How many of these pictures do I have to draw to make my point?!"
by Daylene Strickland of Iowa!
For detailed instructions and our current contest just click on the card. We are having so much fun with this contest on the Ezine Yahoo! Group, I hope you join us!
Have you signed up for our bi-monthly newsletter yet? Did you know that we send out a newsletter when we change our Reader's Gallery each month? The newsletter is FREE and is full of up-to-date information on what is happening on board the S.S. Reflections! If you would like to receive our newsletter you can sign up for it HERE. If you are a member of the Ezine Yahoo! Group then you are having a wonderful time sharing ideas and tips and techniques. We have weekly challenges for both the stampers and the scrappers and monthly swaps! Our new Communications Officer is Debi Wind and her assistant is Diana Scott. Debi will be managing the Ezine Yahoo! Group and Diana will be organizing some fun on the Ezine Message Board!
Our Celebrity Headliner is a very special friend to S.S. Reflections! Two years ago on October 28th we launched S.S. Reflections and Dee Gruenig was our very first Celebrity Headliner! Well, in honor of our 2nd anniversary, Dee is back with us and with some very exciting news of her own to share with all of our faithful readers! S.S. Reflections is proud to be the first news media to tell you all about this exciting new adventure that Posh Impressions is beginning and to share with you their brand new website!
Ellison is our very special guest in the VIP Lounge this month. They have created a special luggage tag project for us that even reflects our special cruise to Kenya this month! This is such a fun project and Ellison design team member Jennifer Nardone! Jennifer has provided you with step by step instructions so you can make this for yourself!
Our Designer’s Challenge this month was sponsored by St. Croix Cropping Company. St. Croix creates these awesome kits for making albums of all sizes and shapes! For this challenge the designers created their designs using the switchplate book kit! The crew had so much fun with this kit and I'm sure you are going to love it too! This challenge turned out to be huge as we had to showcase every page the crew created! 
Korbyn's Korner - S.S. Reflections Advertiser Spotlight!
korbynmay@ssreflections.com
Director of Sales
As you finish reading this jam packed issue of S.S. Reflections, please make your way to our Making Waves page and visit our advertisers! We have revamped the page to make it more accessible to you and easier for you when you are shopping! Some of our Advertisers have wonderful specials and announcements just for you!
Posh Impressions Has a brand new website! Please be sure to check it out to see the project featured!
Hearts in Touch - Hearts In Touch is happy to announce it is carrying the new Tim Holtz line of wood mounted stamps! Also, Tim’s new Metallic Mixatives and Distress Embossing Powders will be available at HIT as soon as they are available to the public.
Suze’s new book “Instant Art” is now in stock and available for mailing out NOW!
Caputo's Kits Looking for a creative way to store your handmade A2 sized cards? Head over to Caputo's Kits to pick up the brand new Card Keeper Kit! It comes with blank cover boards to decorate, 10 custom made page protectors to hold up to 20 cards, and binding rings. Refills available!
PaperArtsy comes out with a brand new plate every month! You will want to check their website often so you don't miss any of their awesome images! Click here to see the PaperArtsy website!
Memory Villa is home to scrapbooking supplies from 30 of the best brands. Popular products uploaded weekly... Drawings and layout contests too! Excellent customer service is what Memory Villa is all about! Free USA shipping on orders of $75 or over, and a flat rate of $4.50 on smaller orders. The best part, if you see it on their site - it's in stock!!!
Midwest Scrapbook Association There is still time to register for the Scrapbook Retreat October 21 - 23, 2005 however, the venue has been changed because the Fairgrounds are being used as temporary housing for Katrina evacuees. Please check the website for the most recent information. With just two people per table, you have spacious cropping area to work on your scrapbooks until the wee hours of the morning (the crop room never closes!), make 'n takes, access to our Tools Stations, limited shopping with onsite vendors, games and drawings for fabulous prizes, goodie bags, meeting new people who LOVE to scrapbook like you, and lots of time to work on preserving your family memories. Relax, Have Fun, Get Lots of Scrapbooking Done...Don't Delay...Let us take care of all the hassles -- so you can concentrate on the good stuff - like what color to matt your photo.
Two Paper Cranes - Click here for a look at the awesome products that Two Paper Cranes is offering! You will want to check their website often for the most recent products added to their store!
*Scrapbooking Business Opportunity* Start your own scrapbooking business for only $30! Enjoy purchasing your own scrapbooking supplies at a discount and reap the benefits of having your own home business. Exclusive products, personal support, and an infinite compensation plan pave your way to a real income. Click here to find out more about this ground floor opportunity!
Now to tell you what is on our Editorial Deck! Scrapbook Premier is featuring clipart for the scrapper! This is a special feature by PC Smart. Dawn Shepherd's Tidbits is all about putting book kits like this months Designer Challenge together! The The Showcase this month is featuring Ramie as she has done a fabulous review on the Digital Scrapbook Memories Collection Two DVD by April Oaks. This is such an awesome program that we have also put it on the Digital Deck as Ramie's regular feature! We just don't want you to miss this! Dean is finishing his lap desk by adding the cushion to it! This is such an awesome project and you will definitely want one of these for yourself! Judy, our Stamping Deck Librarian, is reviewing "Making Gifts with Rubber Stamps" by Sandra McCall. Unfortunately, this is Sharon's last feature with SSR! Sharon has been with us since the beginning and we will miss her! Sharon has done a review on "Vellum Highlights"
By Jennifer O'Byrne.
On our Digital Deck this month, Ramie has done a fabulous review on the Digital Scrapbook Memories Collection Two DVD by April Oaks. Dyan has created a tutorial for making your own definition phrases for your designs. Yes, you can buy them ready made but not every word is available! Dyan's tutorial is excellent! Bill is guiding us through the process of taking photos of children! Elizabeth has created a tutuorial on creating a digital stack! You are going to love this idea! Elizabeth has done a fabulous job her first month creating our advanced tutorials! Tara's tutorial is creating digital fabric! There is just no end to the effects you can create using your computer! Tricia is sharing many awesome ideas for creating theme albums! You will truly love Tricia's ideas!
Now on to the Stamping Deck! Cindy has created the most gorgeous boys of summer art book. Debi is brayering backgrounds part two! There are so many ideas for using your brayer that it was just impossible to do share it in one article! Robin and Wendy have challenged themselves to create pages using one color theme. No matter what these two ladies create it is always gorgeous. Be sure to check out Wendy's page with Keith Urban... Cindy Cade is keeping it simple with some easy designs that are fun! Andi is having so much fun with her special Halloween themed cards! Just wait until you see what Suzanne has created using bleach! As always, Suzannes work is spectacular! Lori has not only stretched herself out of her comfort zone, she's encouraging you to as well! Come on...this is a challenge we can all do! Purnima is celebrating Autumn creating beautiful works of art using my favorite colors! I love Purnima's eye for color! Melissa is inspiring us with fun shaped cards that are just amazing! Tracey's first official feature on the Stamping Deck is all about special finds in your local dollar store! The projects Tracey has created are just amazing! You definitely do not want to miss the Tracey's va Hut!
Now on to the Scrapping Deck! Laura has inspired us with an awesome feature on everything transparant...for example: Duct tape! Yes, you read that right!! Jill has some awesome ideas for using modeling paste in your layouts that you won't want to miss! Chrissy is advising us on album kits and having so much fun with them! Stacie has done a fabulous article on using fabric on your layouts. The design on the right was created by Stacie! Marilyn is embellishing die cuts which is a specialty of Marilyns that you won't want to miss! Cindi is fabulous with the faux look on her layouts! Cindi is talking about faux embossed tin, faux rusted metal, faux encaustic wax and faux tooled aged leather! Becky is also celebrating autumn and has created some gorgeous kits that you can purchase! Come and celebrate this wonderful season with Becky! Janet is creating mix media tiles using products we already have in our supplies! We'd like to officially introduce you to Stacha! Stacha has joined our scrapping crew and she is a wonderful addition to the crew! She is also Jill's business partner and co-owner of the St. Croix Cropping Company! For her first article, Stacha is explaining the art of collage on your scrapping page!
We have a very special Reader's Gallery to share with you! Well, I have to say as we come to a close, that the Reader's Gallery this time is so incredible, it was very difficult to choose just one card to feature! You will just have to go to the gallery for yourself to see all of the cards submitted! But, alas, we had to pick one card, but I know you will love this card created by Barbara Phelps of Shenendoah, Iowa! If you would like to be featured in our Reader's Gallery, please submit your designs to Robin Willis! If you have something that you'd like to have included in our October 15, gallery please submit your designs to Robin by October 10th at robinwillis@ssreflections.com. We love to showcase all our reader's artwork! Please remember to send us your name and the city/state or country where you live along with a basic list of the products used. We hope to give our advertisers as much exposure with your designs as we can!
Thank you for joining us on our cruise to Kenya! You are the reason that we are the number one online magazine! We hope you enjoy your virtual cruise and look forward to next month as we visit Argentina! We have lots of surprises in store for you but for now, you have the whole month to enjoy this fabulous issue of S.S. Reflections! Remember to count your blessings each day. We hope you will be able to relax and enjoy your favorite online Ezine, S.S. Reflections!
Happy Sailing,
Cap'n Dawn
publisher@ssreflections.com
Publisher
Reflections Publishing Group
This entire web site © Copyright Reflections Publishing Group Legal Statement
LINK TO NEXT PAGE